对于美国而言,十几年前的伊拉克战争,究竟意味着什么?
对于参与2016年美国总统大选的诸君而言,对伊战表态已经成为必答题。最近,共和党热门人选、老布什之子、小布什之弟杰布·布什在此问题上陷入了尴尬。有人问他:如果当时他知道现在已知的信息,他是否会效仿自己的哥哥?他被连问4次,才给出了公认的正确答案:“不会。”
曾经支持,如今反对。这种态度的转变令人尴尬。而布什的家族之累更让杰布在面对此问题时倍感煎熬。
其实,民主党的热门人选希拉里·克林顿也在此问题上遭遇过切肤之痛。有分析就认为,当年,她败给党内“黑马”奥巴马,原因之一就在于她在伊战问题上曾经投了赞成票。
十几年过去了,伊战留给美国的伤痛依旧清晰,清晰到在总统大选这样的场合“快闪”。而且,可以确定的是,这一“幽灵”还将继续盘旋在美国上方。
如今,伊战已经被认为是美国历史上最大的战略错误之一,甚至是一场“羞辱”。在这场性价比极低的战争中,美国付出了惨重的代价,却未能实现既定的战略目标。与当年的越战“泥潭”一样,伊战已经成为美国的“噩梦”,暴露了这个全球唯一超级大国的脆弱。
伊战让美国颜面尽失。不仅因为难以说“胜利”,还在于让世界看到美国的虚伪。开战前,小布什政府信誓旦旦地宣称掌握了伊拉克拥有大规模杀伤性武器并与“基地”组织有联系的证据。在未经联合国授权的情况下,美国发动了战争。结果,这些指控被证明子虚乌有。而战争过程中驻伊美军虐囚、滥杀无辜等各种丑闻频发,更是令美国形象受损。
丢了数千美国大兵的性命、投入了巨额资金,结果却只能灰头土脸、静悄悄地离开。美国给自己酿了一杯苦酒。伊战破坏了地区战略平衡:阿拉伯民众反美情绪高涨,伊朗在中东地区影响力扩大,美国调停巴以冲突的能力下降,全球恐怖事件有增无减。
这一切,让誓言再“领导”世界一百年的美国情何以堪。
有人说,像越战一样,伊战这个错误将影响一代美国人的政治。越战曾经把信奉杜鲁门秀肌肉式国际主义的民主党变成了一个反战派的大本营。如今,伊战开始折磨共和党人,再没有共和党人敢于以轻率的态度谈及美国向国外派出地面部队。
或许,这样的伤痛对于美国而言是好事。它时时提醒着“山姆大叔”不要再重蹈覆辙。尤其是当美国某些领导人高喊着要再“领导”世界一百年时,伊战的“幽灵”应该更加张扬地出现,提醒美国,世界已经再也不是可以任由一个国家揉捏的世界了,美国也该从“世界巅峰”的霸权状态中冷静些了。
I wish many more Americans would introduce themselves to this WATCHING AMERICA web site. It is so illuminating to hear this arrogant super-power talked about from the point of view of quite damming world public opinion. I agree completely with the article that the Iraq War was the greatest foreign policy blunder in world history. And what moral authority does the United States now have to LEAD the war on terrorism ? Does not our arrogant ruling class ever ask itself just WHY any young person becomes a dedicated terrorist ? Does not being hopelessly alienated from an irrational and unjust ” new world order ” have something to do with the making of a terrorist ? A suicide bomber may be a maniac by any definition of sanity , but he or she is not a COWARD. In contrast, what does the working class American in the military have to fight for ? Palpably false ideals like capitalism and the American Way of Life ( as if the working class and the wealthy ruling class enjoy the same ” way of life “, the very same FREEDOM ) ?
What fool in uniform would think that Uncle Sam sends him all the way to Iraq or Afghanistan or Syria to fight for militant feminism, or for representative Democracy ? Who represents HIS class in the Congress of the United States ? The clique of Ayn Rand inspired Republicans ? Millionaire neo-Democrats ?
Marxists have long observed the strange lack of ” class consciousness ” in America. But soon social consciousness must catch up to social BEING.
What can possibly save the world from the madness of a Third World War but the ideal of international socialism ?
In this year 2015 it is most pragmatic to think UTOPIAN .
[ http://radicalrons.blogspot.com ]